Well, our vacation has come to an end! Tonight we head to the airport to return to reality. It's been a fun 5 1/2 weeks here on the North Shore of Oahu. While we'll miss the relaxing evening sunset walks on the beach, the morning strolls to the bakery for coffee and breakfast, the leisurly days of reading on the lanai and sitting in the hammock, the excitement of surfing the north shore waves, the airy outdoor malls we shopped at, the scenic drives along the coast, the Aloha spirit of the local people, and the massive amounts of quality time we got to spend together as a family, we will also be glad to get back to our own home in Colorado.

The ski season is here, and it's always nice to participate in a sport where you feel capable, as opposed to surfing where I realize how frustrating it is to suck at a sport. Work even has it's bright spots to look forward to, in that it keeps your mind sharp, and the interaction with peers is always interesting to say the least. Braedyn will enjoy being back on a better schedule where he knows what will be coming next, and he will be happy to see his favorite room with his rainbow fish wallpaper. Talisha is ready to be back in a clean house and in our own bed, vacation is fun, but staying somewhere other than home is always a little wearing. Most of all it will be good to see friends and family again, being away so long makes us realize how important those close to us really are. The friendships that we have can't be replaced, even by a beach in paradise! And with the holiday season coming up quickly, we look forward to spending time with family as well.

We had one last hurrah at the beach for Braedyn. He got to play in the sand and go for a swim with daddy. He must have known it was the last beach trip for awhile as he tried to get as much sand in his mouth as was possible.

Aloha Puppy!

Here's Braedyn in his new hooded, surf jacket.

How could we resist a couple more pictures of our favorite puppy who just loves her romps on the beach, as long as she is a long way from the water, and as long as she gets picked up everytime one of the big dogs comes up to sniff her, and as long as she gets to walk right between her two parents, and as long as she gets to get a bath as soon as she gets back to the house to get the sand out of her hair........ Talk about high maintenance.....

Braedyn at the beach, having fun even though he's a little sick. Notice the wind in the hair effect, we payed big bucks for that.

Another Braedyn and Daddy, beach, sunset picture

We're staying at Sunset beach on Oahu, so it goes without saying that we just have to post sunset pictures on occasion.

Getting a bird's eye view of things...

Braedyn and daddy watching the sunset at Wiamea Bay.

Braedyn and mommy at the beach

Getting dirty once again...

Going for a swim, or maybe a rinse to get all that sand off...

Our little sandman...

A lone foot peering out from the sand...

Braedyn hanging out in his little portable high chair. He's started to really sit up well in it lately and likes to be at the table with mom and dad.



Here's a view from beneath after Braedyn has dropped his toy on to the floor and is trying to figure out how to get it, of course daddy will pretty much always come to the rescue.

Here we are hanging out in the back yard of our place, Braedyn in the hammock.



Braedyn and daddy experiencing what grass feels like, Braedyn definitely likes the sand better.

Here we are hanging out at Kawela Bay. This is an area that is still very natural, and there are very few people that come here. There aren't a lot of places like it left in Hawaii. The land is actually owned by a nearby resort which is trying to expand onto this bay. The local people here are very against the expansion spawning bumper stickers that say things like "Keep the North Shore Country!". There is even a non-profit, grassroots organization that has been created to try to stop the expansion of this and other resorts in the area and to keep some natural areas in Hawaii. That group has information on their website.

Across the street from where we are staying, apparently someone is selling some baby pigs. We were considering buying one as a playmate for dori while we were here.....


But then we realized we already had a baby pig.

We had another afternoon at the beach and Braedyn let us know that he LOVES the sand. He ate about 3 servings and then grew these giant sand legs. He just can't keep his hands out of the sand even if he's being carried over the sand he is trying to wiggle loose so that he can grab some of it.